Trans Crime UK

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About

Trans Crime UK (TCUK) is a web site which appears to have been formed to collect evidence towards one specific argument against reform of the UK/2004 Gender Recognition Act.

The site makes a point of disclaiming that it is attempting to target trans people or trans women:

We absolutely recognise that the majority of trans people live law-abiding lives and the individual crime reports documented on this site no more represent all trans people than Fred West or Harvey Weinstein represent all men. But crime is highly gendered, particularly sexual and violent offending, and some scientific studies indicate that a male pattern of criminality is retained among those males who transition to live as trans women.

The intent and effects of this site are still being evaluated. One questionable item, on that same page, is the fact that it cites the written commentar y by the British Association of Gender Identity Specialists (BAoGIS) to the Transgender Equality Inquiry on “the ever-increasing tide of referrals of patients in prison serving long or indeterminate sentences for serious sexual offences” as evidence against the need to make the transition process easier and hence against the need for reform, when the BAoGIS was in fact arguing for reform.

They also cite a comment from the British Psychological Association[1] which they seem to use only as further evidence of trans people committing crimes, ignoring the context and intent of the quote (the quote they pulled is highlighted):

Some transgender people in the criminal justice system have been unfairly discriminated against in terms of the provision of access to transgender related healthcare services. This should be addressed as a matter of Department of Justice policy.

Conversely, psychologists working with forensic patients are aware of a number of cases where men convicted of sex crimes have falsely claimed to be transgender females for a number of reasons:

  • As a means of demonstrating reduced risk and so gaining parole;
  • As a means of explaining their sex offending aside from sexual gratification (e.g. wanting to ‘examine’ young females);
  • Or as a means of separating their sex offending self (male) from their future self (female).
  • In rare cases it has been thought that the person is seeking better access to females and young children through presenting in an apparently female way.

Such strategies in no way affect risk and indeed may increase it. Some people falsely believe that taking oestrogen and blocking androgen in males will reduce risk of offending, however this is not necessarily the case.

Consequently the Society recommends that the Government give appropriate assistance to transgender people within the criminal justice system; while being extremely cautious of setting law and policy such that some of the most dangerous people in society have greater latitude to offend.

The BPA is overall advising the necessity of proper care within prisons while acknowledging the need to be more cautious, in that environment, about how gender identity is handled – but all TCUK pulls from that is to associate trans women with the phrase "some of the most dangerous people in society". This does not seem well-intentioned.

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Footnote

  1. 2015-08 "British Psychological Society response to theHouse of Commons Women and Equalities CommitteeTransgender equality inquiry"original link, archive.org